184
��PARADISE LOST
��Directed in devotion, to adore
And worship God Supreme, who made him
chief
Of all his works. Therefore the Omnipo- tent
Eternal Father (for where is not He Present ?) thus to his Son audibly spake: ' Let us make now Man in our image, Man In our similitude, and let them rule 520 Over the fish and fowl of sea and air, Beast of the field, and over all the earth, And every creeping thing that creeps the
ground ! ' This said, he formed thee, Adam, thee, O
Man, Dust of the ground, and in thy nostrils
breathed
The breath of life; in his own image he Created thee, in the image of God Express, and thou becam'st a living Soul. Male he created thee, but thy consort' Female, for race; then blessed mankind,
and said, 530
' Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the Earth ; Subdue it, and throughout dominion hold Over fish of the sea, and fowl of the air, And every living thing that moves on the
Earth ! '
Wherever thus created for no place Is yet distinct by name thence, as thou
know'st,
He brought thee into this delicious grove, This Garden, planted with the trees of
God,
Delectable both to behold and taste, And freely all their pleasant fruit for food Gave thee. All sorts are here that all the
earth yields, 541
Variety without end; but of the tree Which tasted works knowledge of good
and evil Thou may'st not; in the day thou eat'st,
thou diest.
Death is the penalty imposed; beware, And govern well thy appetite, lest Sin Surprise thee, and her black attendant,
Death. " Here finished He, and all that he had
made Viewed, and, behold ! all was entirely
good. So even and morn accomplished the sixth
Day; 550
Yet not till the Creator, from his work Desisting, though unwearied, up returned,
��Up to the Heaven of Heavens, his high
abode,
Thence to behold this new-created World, The addition of his empire, how it shewed In prospect from his Throne, how good,
how fair,
Answering his great Idea. Up he rode, Followed with acclamation, and the sound Symphonious of ten thousand harps, that
tuned
Angelic harmonies. The Earth, the Air Resounded (thou remember'st, for thou
heard 'st), 561
The heavens and all the constellations
rung, The planets in their stations listening
stood,
While the bright pomp ascended jubilant. ' Open, ye everlasting gates ! ' they sung; ' Open, ye Heavens, your living doors ! let
in
The great Creator, from his work returned Magnificent, his six days' work, a World ! Open, and henceforth oft; for God will
deign
To visit oft the dwellings of just men 570 Delighted, and with frequent intercourse Thither will send his winged messengers On errands of supernal grace.' So sung The glorious train ascending. He through
Heaven,
That opened wide her blazing portals, led To God's eternal house direct the way A broad and ample road, whose dust is
gold,
And pavement stars, as stars to thee ap- pear
Seen in the Galaxy, that milky way Which nightly as a circling zone thou seest Powdered with stars. And now on Earth
the seventh 581
Evening arose in Eden for the sun Was set, and twilight from the east came
on, Forerunning night when at the holy
mount Of Heaven's high-seated top, the imperial
throne
Of Godhead, fixed for ever firm and sure, The Filial Power arrived, and sat him
down
With his great Father; for He also went Invisible, yet stayed (such privilege Hath Omnipresence) and the work or- dained, 59
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